Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them: What We're Reading--or Watching, in this case (Erin)

You have probably already noticed J.K. Rowling's new movie, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them came out last month. We see very few first-run movies, instead opting to wait until they come to the "cheap" theater, but we were too excited to wait that long to see Fantastic Beasts. So, last week, on a snowy evening, we headed out to the theater to meet family and immerse ourselves in an evening of fantasy.

Rowling wrote the screenplay, partially based on her 2001 book, of the same name. I enjoyed seeing the movie setting switch to America in the 1920s, which is several decades earlier than the Harry Potter movies. The magical suitcase that Newt Scamandar carries is full of "fantastic beasts" and opens into alternate, magical settings. The alternately adorable, funny, and majestic beasts were definitely my favorite part of the film.

Since the main characters are adults, instead of children, the movie has a more serious tone than the first few Harry Potter movies.  Also, there is a relatively dark backstory, which gives the movie its PG-13 rating. I am a huge fan of happy endings and escapism in movies, and I'm not sure this fit the bill. However, as a whole, the movie was well worth the time and money, and I am excited to see how the next movies in the series turn out.

Have you seen Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them? yet? Are you planning on it?